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"Media advisor to Iran's president, Aliasghar Shafieian, commented on the stalling of talks between Tehran and Washington, which were mediated by Pakistan. Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Shafieian said 'the opportunity is not lost', noting that both sides laid out their demands and at least achieved 'some understanding of each other's positions'. He claimed that Pakistan was 'too small' to handle this role, suggesting that if 'China or Russia' had served as mediators in the next stage, “reaching an agreement would have been much easier.” He also stated that if Russia or China had taken on mediation, they would have 'condensed' the 15 points into fewer settlement terms and presented them as a compromise text to both parties. Regarding the announcement that no deal was reached, Shafieian noted that “it is not unusual that no common conclusion was reached in the first meeting,” stressing that 'the next stage' will be critical as the two sides evaluate one another's responses. He pointed out that if no agreement can be reached, 'the conditions will be absolutely unsuitable for Iran, for the region, for America, for everyone'. On Lebanon, Shafieian noted that France has reached out to Iran on several occasions on the matter, adding that the Iranian president insisted these contacts should be part of the negotiations concerning Lebanon, arguing that “it is also a moral issue for the Iranians. The Lebanese have become entangled with Israel because of Iran, and they cannot be left alone.” He further described the Strait of Hormuz as 'a tool in Iran's hand' for ‘leverage’ that Tehran will not 'easily lose', alongside the issues of uranium enrichment and the nuclear programme. He affirmed that a solution exists for the strait, as “there's no possibility of it remaining closed forever.” He suggested that Iran's decisions could be influenced by the matters of Iranian assets and sanctions, which are 'extremely important for Iran', provided that the US side clarifies the steps it intends to take. At the end of his remarks, he noted that “trust and guarantees generally have no meaning in international relations,” explaining that agreements are based on 'interests'. Following the breakdown in talks, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated that Washington and Tehran failed to reach a deal, describing the result as “bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the US.” Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that “views differed on two or three important issues, and ultimately the discussions did not yield to an agreement,' adding that 'an agreement was not expected in a single session.” The talks followed a conditional two-week ceasefire agreed upon by Tehran and Washington, with both sides claiming 'victory' in the conflict. Under the terms, Iran tentatively agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States and Israel halted their attacks on Iranian territory. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran does not apply to Lebanon, where his forces claimed to have carried out 100 airstrikes against the group within ten minutes on Wednesday. "
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